My Sweetest Downfall
by MyHeart'sBeatingFaster
Summary: All human, teacher/student AU. Elijah is the new English teacher. Elena is the innocent student who lives a simple but slightly unsatisfying life. Elejah. Fluff/Angst/Romance.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own these characters or the show.**

 **Please Enjoy.**

 **-Ace**

Elena had lived in Mystic Falls her entire life. She had good friends, was on the cheerleading team and had a 3.8 GPA. Her parents, Grayson and Miranda, were both doctors. Due to this her time with them was scarce and could be cut short at any moment. She had a younger brother, Jeremy, who was currently in a rehab facility just outside of Denver. She missed her brother, he had been gone all summer and was supposed to be back before the start of school, but a few days before he was set to come home he relapsed and her parents had decided to pull him out of school and get him a private tutor in Denver.

School would start tomorrow. Elena was in her senior year and while all her friends were excited about going to college and seeing the world, Elena always felt that something was missing. She was almost 18 years old and she had experienced so little life had to offer. She'd never had a boyfriend, which her friends didn't understand. Elena was one of the prettiest most popular girls in school, but she was reluctant to give any attention to boys. That didn't stop them from asking her out, yet she'd always turn them down, stating she wasn't interested. She poured all her time into her school work and extra-curricular activities. As well as cheerleading, she volunteered after school at an animal shelter and on Wednesdays she went to the care home and spent a few hours with Mrs Twidal, an elderly lady who used to live a few houses down from her as a child.

She looked out of her bedroom window with her journal in her lap and thought back on her time at school. She was determined to make this year count for more than just homework and studying. Caroline had always been begging her to come to at least one party. Maybe she would. She laughed a little as Caroline entered her mind. The two friends were so different. Caroline was loud, bubbly and a real party goer, but they had been friends since first grade and never let anything tear them apart. She flicked her lamp off as she got under the covers and sighed contentedly as she drifted off into sleep, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.

A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A

First day of school.

Elena picked Caroline up that morning and the blonde was her usually peppy self. She was so enthusiastic about everything.

They walked in the school entrance and went their separate ways as Elena had math and Caroline biology. They would see each other again at lunch.

"Hey, Elena." A girl, Gillian, sat next to Elena as the class started. She smiled back and they spoke about their time off.

"Did you hear about the new English teacher?" She asked Elena.

"New English teacher? What happened to Mr Ryan?" She hadn't heard about any new teachers starting and her old teacher hadn't mentioned any plans to leave before summer.

"He got offered a job at some fancy private school in England." Elena was bummed. Mr Ryan was a great teacher and he really loved his job. Every student did great in his class.

"So, who's the new teacher?"

Her friend looked excited. "I don't know his name, but Maddison said he is absolutely gorgeous. A real hunk."

Elena scoffed. She couldn't care less what the guy looked like, she needed a good teacher who would actually _teach_. She'd had too many lazy teachers who just read from books and clicked through power points. The conversation stopped as their math teacher walked in and the lesson began.

The day dragged slowly as the clock signalled lunch. She waited for Caroline at her locker as usual and listened idly as girls flittered through the hallways chatting about the new English teacher. It was all she'd heard the entire morning. She could hardly blame them though, they lived in a small town and new neighbours were a rarity. Caroline walked over to her with a little skip in her step and they headed down to the cafeteria.

"So, you've heard about the new guy, huh?" Caroline began as they sat down.

Elena rolled her eyes with a smile as Caroline babbled on listing off everything she had learned about him in the 3 hours they had been here.

"I haven't seen him yet, but everyone says he's absolutely gorgeous, and guess what? We have him at the end of the day." Caroline stabbed her food none too gently with her fork.

Elena pulled out her timetable and scanned it as she came to her last period of the day. English Lit, but Mr Ryan was still listed as the teacher. He must have quit pretty late into the summer then.

"Elena!" Caroline snapped her fingers. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, sorry." Elena apologised as Caroline continued.

"Don't forget we have cheerleader try outs after school."

"How could I forget Caroline, you've only been reminding me for the last 2 weeks." She laughed as Caroline turned red.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I just want to get a good team this year, we need to leave it in the best hands possible."

The rest of the day went pretty quickly, each teacher went over the plan for that year and a brief recap of what they remembered from last year. By the time English Lit rolled around, Elena was ready to collapse. Her and Caroline had the last two classes together, so they strolled through the hallways arms linked together for their last class of the day. Their mysterious new teacher wasn't there yet so they grabbed a couple of desks near each other. They were two of the last few people there and the only two desks together where at the front. Elena didn't mind, but Caroline groaned as she realised she wouldn't be able to gossip as easily.

A few seconds later the door flung open as their teacher arrived.

"Sorry, I'm late I had to pick up some books from the library." He apologised as he walked over to his desk.

Elena looked up as he dropped the boxes that were obscuring his face. Her eyes widened as her lips parted slightly. All day, she had been laughing at the girls who were falling at the feet of this man. _Surely, he couldn't be that good looking_ , she had thought to herself. But now, she couldn't think. Here in front of her, stood the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Absently, she heard Caroline say the word 'wow' under her breath but she paid no attention as she silently gawked over her new teacher. Her mouth snapped shut as he introduced himself.

"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Mr Mikaelson, your new English teacher. If you'll all take one and pass the rest along…" He gestured to the books that he handed to one of the students on the front row. Elena was entranced. She couldn't take her eyes off him. He was tall and well built, broad shoulders that stood out in his fitted grey shirt. Elena always thought there was nothing sexier than a man in a suit as he picked up his blazer from the back of his chair and put it on. His hair was slightly hanging over his face. Elena chewed her pen as she stared at his face. His skin was pale and youthful and his eyes were a deep brown that glimmered when the light hit them. The next hour was probably the most difficult she had ever been through. Every effort to concentrate was diffused by something as simple as Mr Mikaelson running his hand through his hair or his tongue darting out to wet his lips before he spoke. _What was happening to her?_

Finally, the bell rang and students began to file out of the room.

"Miss Gilbert?" _Damn, so close._ She smiled as she turned back around and walked over to him.

"Yes, Mr Mikaelson?"

He sat on the edge of his desk as she held her books close to her body.

"I've been reading over the notes your last teacher left for me. He mentioned you were his best student so I expect to see the same level of effort applied to my classes. You need to pay more attention, you seemed very distracted in today's lesson."

Elena bit her lip and looked at the floor. _How obvious had she been?_

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"Thank you. You may go." He dismissed her.

He watched her walk out of the room and released a long breath, running a hand over his face.

 _Elijah's POV._

 _The day had been long and in the first day of school excitement, he'd forgotten to pick up the books for the last period of the day. He ran to the library and grabbed the boxes waiting for him, giving his apologies to the librarian. The walk back to his classroom was slower this time around because of the extra load, but he made it only a few minutes late._

" _Sorry I'm late…" He mumbled his excuse from behind the books. He dropped them on his desk and as he looked up his breath was stolen from him. Sitting in the front row was a brunette goddess, staring at him intently. Elijah prided himself on having a good poker face so on the outside he appeared cool, but on the inside his heart was threatening to burst through his chest and his mind was hazy. He attempted to make it through the next hour without breaking his façade, which was harder than he thought. He could physically feel her eyes on him, his body was stiff and rigid as he nervously licked his lips, his dry mouth making it harder to speak coherently. He ran his hand through his hair as he made the mistake of turning to the class and saw her biting the end of her pen._

 _He looked to the clock, only a few minutes left. He could do this. He sighed a small breath of relief as the bell rang and his students began packing away. He turned as she walked towards the door._

" _Miss Gilbert?"_ What are you doing?! _The voice in his head screamed at him. In all honestly, he had no idea why he stopped her. It was hard enough being in a room with her not speaking to her directly. Again, he asked himself, what are you doing?_

" _Yes, Mr Mikaelson?" He groaned internally, she had the voice of an angel._

 _He rambled of some bull about expectations. He thought he would die when she bit her lip. He had to stop this. She left the room and he took a deep breath before collapsing in his desk chair._

A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A

Elena left the locker room dressed in shorts and a tank top and headed out to the field where she and Caroline would be picking out new members of the cheerleading team. They were co-captains and it would be up to them.

Her mind was full of thoughts of Mr Mikaelson, so she began warming up in an attempt to concentrate. She took a few deep breaths, eyes closed as she and some of the other girls stretched. They began teaching a basic routine to the girls who hoped to be on the team, there were some really good girls this year. Elena always hated this part, seeing the looks on the girls faces when she told them they didn't make the team.

Caroline was getting a ride home with her boyfriend Tyler, he was on the football team and they had try outs today so he was still at the school by the time they were finished. She headed to the parking lot alone with some equipment. She was struggling to open to trunk of her car when a pair of hands relieved her of some of the boxes.

"Let me help you." She would recognise his smooth voice anywhere.

She couldn't look him in the eyes. "Thank you." She turned to her car and opened the trunk, he quickly put them inside.

He was leaving the school when he saw her walking across the lot. He didn't plan on approaching her, but he couldn't help himself when she struggled to open her car.

"Um…I'll see you in class tomorrow." And with that he was gone.

Elena drove home and quickly went up to her room, dropping her bag on her bed and entering the shower. She washed away the stress of the last few hours and donned a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt as she went downstairs and made a quick bowl of pasta since her parents would be working until late tonight.

After a bit of light reading she went to her room and decided to go to sleep early. She couldn't stop thinking of Mr Mikaelson and it was stressing her out. She had never acted like this before. She had never shown such interest in a man before, but he was shaking things up. And he was her teacher.

She groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

 **A/N: So, any good?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! If you're a fan of Stefan then you're not gonna like this story in the long run. Sorry!**

 **At the minute, I'm writing in separate POV's because they don't have a lot of interaction. This will change.**

 **-Ace**

 _Elena's POV._

Elena's locker slammed shut as Caroline appeared from behind it.

"Um, hi?" Elena asked confused.

"Morning, Elena." She smiled. "I don't know what we did to be so lucky but I'm not complaining!"

Elena quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Care?" Half of the time Caroline was so excited to talk about something she forgot that the other person actually had no idea what she was talking about.

"One new hot teacher, one new hot student." She sighed happily. "This year already looks great."

"There's a new student? I didn't notice him yesterday."

"He wasn't here yesterday, busy moving from LA." Caroline would make a great detective.

"Look there he is!" Caroline pointed across the room none too discretely. Elena looked over at a tall, lean boy with light brown hair and forest green eyes. Elena thought he was cute, until yesterday he would have been the cutest boy she'd seen. She found herself thinking he would look better if his hair was a couple of shades darker and his eyes brown instead of green. Her eyes widened slightly as she realised she was trying to make him look more like Mr Mikaelson. She looked away as he turned his head and told Caroline they should go to their first class.

They took their seats for History when Caroline squealed. She looked up and the new boy was standing in the doorway. Caroline batted her eyelashes.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Elena chastised her.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm allowed to look."

Elena laughed as he walked over and took the seat behind her, one row to her left. About 10 minutes into the class, Elena's pocket vibrated. She pulled out her phone to see she had a text from Caroline. She looked up to her friend who was sat right next to her, but she kept her eyes glued to the whiteboard. She shook her head and opened the text.

' _Hot new guy is staring at you.'_

Elena put her phone back in her pocket and tried to discretely turn her head. She met his eyes and quickly turned back to the front. Caroline was looking at her now with a smirk. Elena turned red.

The bell signalled the end of the class and Elena couldn't wait to get out of there. She had been on edge the entire time.

"Hey, do you know where I can find Mr Romaro's study hall?"

Elena span around to see new guy with a slightly quizzical look on his face. She was about to reply when Caroline interrupted.

"Elena was just headed in that direction. She'd love to show you." _Thanks, Caroline._

"I'm Stefan by the way." He held his hand out as they walked through the hall.

"Elena." She gave it a quick shake. She wasn't looking where she was going as she turned the corner and ran right into a hard body. The force was so great she was knocked over. The ground was cold as her body hit the floor.

"Miss Gilbert!" She looked up the see the shock on Mr Mikaelson's face. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She would have laughed if her butt didn't hurt so much.

"I am so sorry." He offered her his hand. "I didn't see you there."

She hid her gasp as she slid her hand into his and her body began to tingle.

"It was my fault." She felt disappointed when he let go of her hand. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Are you okay? You're not hurt?" He scanned her body quickly.

She blushed. "No, I'm fine. It'll probably hurt more later."

There was a moment of silence as they awkwardly avoided looking each other in the eyes.

Stefan cleared his throat.

"We should go, Elena." He picked her bag off the floor. "Don't want to be late."

Elena took her bag.

"I'll see you in class." Mr Mikaelson said, initiating his exit.

She gave Stefan a small smile as they continued their walk.

"So, who's that?" He questioned.

"Um, Mr Mikaelson. He's new too."

"Mr Mikaelson? English Lit right?" Stefan took a scrap of paper out from his bag.

Elena nodded.

"I have him at the end of the day." He flashed her a look of his timetable.

"Yeah…me too." She revealed. Stefan smiled.

They arrived at their destination and Elena sighed a breath of relief. Stefan walked over to the front of the class and spoke to their teacher. Mr Romaro was the strictest teacher in school and insisted on a seating plan. Even in study hall. Something she was thankful for now. She didn't know what it was about Stefan, but something about him made her feel nervous. She didn't know if it was good or bad.

She met Caroline for lunch as usual and wasn't even in her presence for more than a second before questions about Stefan bombarded her.

"So, Elena, spill all the juicy details."

"Um, his name is Stefan."

"And?" Caroline waited for her to elaborate.

"And what?" Elena's brows came together in confusion.

"Seriously, Elena? You didn't learn anything else about him?" Caroline was making it seem like there was one bottle of water left in the world and Elena had politely declined it.

"Nope! Sorry." Elena gave her a look that said she wasn't sorry at all.

Elena checked her watch. "Come on, we have gym." She stood and swung her bag over her shoulder. She winced in pain and rubbed her elbow.

"What was that?" Caroline pointed to her arm.

"Oh, nothing. I fell over earlier."

"You must have hit it pretty hard." Caroline sympathised with her friend. "Did you fall over in front of Stefan?"

"It was an accident, Care. I wasn't looking and ran straight into Mr Mikaelson." She turned red at the memory.

Caroline laughed at her as they entered the changing room. "I would have paid to see that."

Later on, they were on the running track. Both Elena and Caroline were in great shape physically, so were able to keep a constant speed running leisurely around the field.

Caroline spotted Tyler practicing football and waved to him. He smiled and waved back, then threw the ball to none other than Stefan. He looked over and waved at Elena.

Caroline giggled. "Elena, he's so into you."

"Really?"

"Yes. You need to make a move before someone else grabs his attention." To prove her point, she gestured to some other girls running close to Stefan and smiling flirtatiously.

"You know I don't date." Elena said simply.

"No. You _didn't_ date." Caroline corrected her. "Didn't you tell me you wanted this year to count for more than studying? Go out with him!"

Elena looked over at Stefan again. He sent her a smouldering look. "I don't think so."

Caroline was about to argue when Elena increased her speed and ran off ahead of her.

"I'm just saying, Elena." Caroline continued as they left the changing rooms and headed to their next class of the day.

"And I'm just saying I'm not interested, Caroline." Elena shushed her friends reply as Stefan came into view.

"Hey, Stefan. Heading to Mr Mikaelson's class?" Caroline smiled at him.

"Yeah." He replied. "You're Caroline, right? Tyler's girlfriend?"

"That's me." She smiled as they turned the corner into their English class.

Elena smiled as she caught sight of him and her stomach did that funny thing, that happened whenever she thought of him.

"Mr Salvatore?" He spoke.

"That's me." Stefan's voice came from behind them.

"Here, you'll need this book." Stefan accepted the book from his outstretched hand and moved to find an empty seat.

Elena and Caroline had already taken their seats in the front row. The lesson began and Elena found herself able to concentrate more than yesterday, he was still distracting but she didn't let it affect her as much and managed to take down sufficient notes.

The bell rang in no time.

"Excuse me, Miss Gilbert?" Elena stopped near the door. "I'd like to apologise again for this morning."

 _He's so sweet._ "It's fine, Mr Mikaelson. Honestly."

Caroline poked her head in the door. "Elena." She turned her head. "Come on, Tyler's waiting for us." Caroline innocently pulled on her arm forgetting about her injury. Elena winced again.

"Crap." Caroline winced herself. "Sorry, I forgot."

Elena rubbed her arm.

"You're injured." He spoke walking over to them. "Let me see."

It wasn't really a question but she nodded anyway and pulled her sleeve up her arm to reveal a large blue and purple bruise around her elbow.

"You need to get that checked out, Elena." Caroline gasped. "I'll go tell Tyler to leave without us." She left the room.

Elijah swallowed at the sight of her bruise. "I am so sorry." His voice was slightly lower than before.

"It isn't your fault- "

"No, is it." He interrupted her.

"I'll be fine. Ice and painkillers and I'll be as good as new." She assured him.

"Come on, the nurse is still here." Caroline came back into the room. "See you tomorrow, Mr Mikaelson."

Elena managed one more look at him as Caroline escorted her from the room. She gave him a small smile before he was gone from her view.

As suspected the nurse prescribed ice and painkillers. Nevertheless, Caroline said their plans could wait until tomorrow. Elena returned home and heard her mother in the kitchen. She walked in to find her baking cookies. _Bad day at work then._

"Hey mom, you okay?"

"Hey, sweetie. Yeah I'm fine." She faked a smile.

Elena went over to the freezer and pulled out a bag of ice.

"What's that for?" Her mother inquired.

Elena lifted her arm and revealed her bruise.

"What happened?" Her mother began to fuss over her.

"Fell over. No big deal." Elena said as her mother began to inspect her arm.

"Well, it looks alright. A bit swollen at the moment so you'd be better off with a bandage around that in case it gets worse."

She conceded as the first aid kit came out.

"Thanks, mom." She kissed the top of Elena's head.

"Go relax, we'll watch a movie."

Elena loved spending time with her mother. "Bring popcorn!" Elena called as she left the room with her bag of ice.

A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A

 _Elijah's POV._

 _Does she ever stop talking?_ Elijah thought to himself. He had been in the staff room for 15 minutes and had barely spoken a word as the principal's chatty receptionist didn't stop to breathe. The alarm on his watch went off. _Thank god._

"Sorry, I have a lesson to teach." He excused himself.

He walked quickly through the halls before she insisted on walking with him. She wasn't a bad person, just a bit overbearing. He could think of many people he would rather spend time with. One in particular. His next thought was torn from his mind as a body collided with his, he was stronger and sturdier though so he remained standing as the other was knocked to the floor. His eyes went wide when he saw who it was. Her doe eyes looked up at him.

He apologised immediately and helped her up. Her hand was so small in his and he didn't really want to let go. But he did. The air was static around them.

 _Just breathe, Elijah._

He heard a boy near them cough.

"We should go, Elena." He said.

 _No._

"Don't want to be late."

"I'll see you in class." Elijah said and hurried away. He didn't look back as he was walking. _Who was that boy?_

He shook his head slightly and started his next class by having them read a passage from Pride and Prejudice. He enjoyed the few minutes silence it gave him.

In almost no time, the day had progressed and Elena walked in with her friends.

"Mr Salvatore?" He had known he would be one student short yesterday, so the young man that was with Elena earlier.

Today went smoother than yesterday. Today he wasn't blindsided. He knew what would be waiting for him.

He stopped her from leaving again today.

"I want to apologise again for this morning."

She smiled sweetly. "It's fine, Mr Mikaelson."

Her friend came back into the room, cutting their time short. His back straightened when Elena winced and her face turned pained.

His mind flashed back to her on the floor. _Did he do that?_

Her friend apologised and Elena tried to brush it off.

"You're injured." His voice was hard. "Let me see." _Please be okay._

His mouth went dry when she pulled up her sleeve and revealed a large bruise. It looked painful. Her friend was once again gone from the room, leaving them alone.

"I am so sorry." His voice was hoarse.

"It isn't your fault- "she tried to placate him.

"No, it is." He looked again at the bruise on her arm.

"I'll be fine."

She sounded sincere.

Her friend pulled her out of the room and to the nurse. She gave him a small smile before she was gone from his view. He turned around and swiped some objects from his desk onto the floor in his anger.

He sighed and bent down to pick them up. He left the building immediately, too stressed to do anything further that day.

When he arrived home, he poured himself a large glass of whiskey and sat in a large leather chair. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his shirt unbuttoned at the top. He took a sip of his drink and Elena's face entered his mind.

Her face showing pain when he ran into her and again when he saw her bruise. He also remembered the smiles he saw on her face. Some directed at him.

' _I'll be fine.' 'It's fine, Mr Mikaelson.'_

One thing he'd noticed about her already was her kind nature. She seemed more concerned letting him know that he wasn't to blame than she did about being hurt. A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

A shiver ran down his spine and his face was stony again. He couldn't have these kinds of thoughts. He was her teacher for god's sake.


	3. Chapter 3

**I Just your reminder that I don't own the Vampire Diaries or these characters. You read that right, I am NOT in fact Julie Plec.**

 **-Ace**

A week had passed since the incident in the school corridor. Elena rubbed her arm absentmindedly, it had healed pretty quickly but she still felt some stiffness. She had tried to treat every day as a normal day, hoping her crush on Mr Mikaelson would ebb away. However, it seemed to grow stronger every time she saw him. It wasn't as if she could avoid him, she had to see him 5 days a week. Did she even want to avoid him? He was quickly becoming the favourite part of her day.

It had become easier to be in the same room as him though. Less awkward, Elena was becoming more comfortable around him. He still made her stomach do flips but she was able to control her heart beat better.

It was Saturday. Tonight, was the first football game of the season and the whole town was excited. The Timberwolves always played their first game against their arch nemesis' The Knights. Elena was thankful her elbow was almost completely healed, she had to be there tonight to cheer on the team. She couldn't sit out at their first game.

Tyler was captain of the team and had convinced the coach to let Stefan join since he missed the first day of school and the try outs. He swiftly became one of the most popular boys at school, all the guys on the football team were. It was also known that most of the guys on the team would date the girls on the cheerleading team. Obviously, Stefan had his eye on her and Caroline kept trying to force him into her life. Excited that if she and Stefan got together, they could go on double dates with her and Tyler. So far Stefan had been sweet and made a valiant effort of seeming uncomfortable with Caroline's meddling. Clearly, he wasn't. Elena was counting down the days until he asked her out and she would have to seem shocked and turn him down. She didn't want to hurt his feelings but she hoped he could take the hint. Too many times, boys would continue to pester her after she rejected them, hoping to change her mind. She didn't understand it, there were so many amazing girls at their school, yet they kept wasting their time on her.

Since it was Saturday and everyone was preparing for the game tonight, she thought she'd spend some extra time with Mrs Twidal. She was practically one of her best friends. She loved hearing her stories and Elena could tell her anything and she would never judge her. Not that Caroline isn't a great friend but sometimes she was worried about her reaction to Elena's revelations. She never had that feeling with Mrs Twidal.

She got into her car and drove to the care home.

"Elena!" Her friend greeted as soon as she walked through the doors. "What a lovely surprise."

Elena smiled and walked over to her friend. "Hi Bea," she bent down to where she was sat in her wheelchair and gave her a hug. "I had some free time and hoped you wouldn't mind me hanging around for a while."

"Not at all dear, but do you mind if we go out? Dennis has been annoying me all day." She threw her thumb over her shoulder at a grumpy looking man banging on top of the radio.

"No problem." Elena laughed lightly and went to sign her out at the front desk.

Bea sighed happily as the sun shone down on her face. "What a beautiful day."

Elena looked around as the light wind blew through the trees and birds chirped. It was all too sweet. They chatted on their leisurely journey around the town square, stopping occasionally to talk to other residents. Everyone loved Bea Twidal, she had lived here her entire life so she knew everyone and everyone knew her.

Just when she thought she'd go a day without seeing Mr Mikaelson, the wind picked up and Bea's sun hat went flying across the street. Elena looked to see where it landed and spotted it on the feet of her English teacher.

Elijah looked around as a hat landed on his feet. He picked it up and saw an old woman in a wheelchair waving over to him. He crossed the street and as he got closer he could see Elena standing behind her.

"Miss Gilbert." He greeted.

"Hi, Mr Mikaelson." She smiled and he smiled back.

"I believe this belongs to you." He smiled at Bea and handed her hat back.

"Why, thank you. Elena why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

Elena blushed. "Bea this is Mr Mikaelson, he works at the school."

She offered her hand. "Pleasure to meet you Mr Mikaelson."

"The pleasure is all mine." He kissed the back of her hand and she giggled like a school girl. Elena rolled her eyes playfully, Bea always was an old flirt. When Caroline joined them, they would scope out cute guys together.

"Elena and I were just taking a walk. It's nice to get out of that old care home now and again. Elena always makes time for me, she's been that way since she was a child. Such a big heart."

"You've known each other long then?" Elijah inquired.

Bea smiled. "Oh, since the day she was born. I used to live right next door, until a few years ago." She looked sad at that part. "That didn't stop her from visiting her old friend, though."

Elena knew what was going on. She quickly decided to get Bea away from him before she opened her mouth again.

"Well, we should be going. I don't want you in the sun for too long." Bea tutted. "Are you going to the game tonight Mr Mikaelson?"

"I was thinking about it, it seems everyone is going."

"Maybe, I'll see you tonight then." And with that she turned Bea around and walked her back down the road.

After they were a safe distance away, Elena began her interrogation.

"Just what was all that about?"

She smirked. "He's cute, Elena."

"He's my teacher."

"He won't be your teacher forever."

"Bea, stop." She stopped pushing her and came around to face her. "You can't say things like that."

She raised an eyebrow. "And why not? I saw you blushing. You like him, don't you?"

Elena closed her eyes. "It doesn't matter if I like him or not. It's not going to happen. Look at him, he would never be interested in someone like me."

"Okay. If you say so." She had a wry grin on her face.

"What are you going on about now?"

"Oh, nothing." She denied. "His face just seemed to get a little bit brighter when he realised who was pushing me around."

 _Did it really?_

"Now I know you've had too much sun."

"I know what I saw, Elena."

Elena smiled. "You're nuts, Bea."

Bea smiled back. "All the best people are, dear."

Elena left to go home and get dressed. She needed to be at the school an hour before the game to practice with the squad. She put on a bit more make-up than usual, just in case Mr Mikaelson did show up.

"Who are you trying to impress?" Caroline asked as soon as she spotted her.

"No one." Elena denied. "Just thought I'd try something different. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no. I was just wondering if maybe you'd changed your mind about Stefan."

Elena crossed her arms. "Caroline, enough of that. I told you I don't like him in that way."

"Have you told him that? Because he's still into you."

"What am I supposed to say Caroline?" He hadn't even asked her out yet. "I can't just say 'I want to be friends' when he hasn't even made a move. When he does I'll turn him down gently."

Caroline went to speak.

"Nope. No more talking about, Stefan."

Caroline zipped her mouth shut and they proceeded to warm up. The sky darkened as the stands began to fill up with people. Elena scanned the crowd every 5 minutes.

"Okay, how's everyone feeling?" Caroline asked as they huddled together. "Just remember to breathe and everything will be fine."

A loud horn announced the start of the game as the audience went wild and the teams ran onto the field. Elena put a bright smile on her face as they all ran out and revved up the crowd. It was their job to keep everyone in high spirits.

The team began their first cheer accompanied with a dance they had just recently learned. She turned a little red as she spotted Mr Mikaelson in the crowd. She wanted him to come, but forgot the fact that he would see her dance. She was suddenly nervous.

 _Elijah's POV._

He arrived at the school, following a large crowd of people. Some of them with painted faces. It really was a big game tonight. He was happy when Elena asked if he was attending. Up until that point he wasn't sure, but to know she would be there and wanted to see him changed his decision immediately.

He took a seat on the outside of the stands, some other teachers sitting nearby. As if out of nowhere, the crowd all jumped to their feet and roared as the players made their way to the field. He saw a flash of red run by the bottom of the bleachers. He cheered with everyone else, although more subdued, as the players threw the ball about, warming up.

The crowd settled and eventually he could see Elena, cheering with the rest of the team. Her face was bright and happy as they started their first routine. She had spotted him in the crowd, but he couldn't see her blush. His eyes mostly stayed on her for the rest of the game, he couldn't care less about football. Before he knew it, the game was over and by the cheers from the crowd, the Timberwolves had won. He stood with the others and clapped, eyes trailing back to Elena. She looked into the crowd and locked eyes with him. She sent him a smile and he couldn't resist sending one back.

People started filing out of the field after a while. He saw Elena pick up a few boxes containing pompoms and walk around the back of the bleachers. He wanted to help her so he followed behind her. When he got closer, however, he heard her talking to someone. Congratulating him on the win.

"Thanks, it was my first game too." He knew that voice, it was the Salvatore boy who followed Elena around like a lost puppy. His jaw ticked.

"So, Elena, I was thinking maybe we should go out sometime."

Elijah's eye's narrowed and his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Oh, that's sweet, Stefan." Elena replied quietly.

 _Sweet? She thought he was sweet?_

"Great, so when do you wanna-"

Elena cut him off. "I'm sorry, Stefan I'm just not interested in you like that."

His body became less tense. She rejected him.

"But I thought…" He trailed off.

He peeked around the corner and saw the unease and sadness on her face. "I really am sorry, Stefan."

He watched Elena walk away from him and Stefan stare after her before he turned around and walked back to the field. Elijah quickly removed himself from the area with a smile on his face. Elena's refusal of Stefan made him happier than he wanted to admit. He climbed into his car and his smile never left his face the entire ride home.


	4. Chapter 4

**-I don't own these characters-**

 **Angel of Darkness Forever- Wow. That's quite the compliment. The pressure is on!**

 **Elejah88- Thanks for reviewing** **. In my other fics I feel like I've rushed the process a bit, so I don't want them to get together quite so soon.**

 **Delenaaaaa- Thanks for reviewing, hopefully I don't disappoint.**

"Are you sure you don't want to do something fun tonight? It _is_ your 18th birthday, Elena." Caroline whined whilst curling Elena's hair.

"I'm sure, Caroline." Elena looked at her though the mirror. "My parents set aside time to take me out for dinner, and I plan to use that time wisely."

She would take any time her parents could set aside for her. They were busy people, she didn't hold a grudge though. They literally saved lives for a living. How could she express her feelings in a way that wouldn't seem selfish?

She sighed as she flattened out the front of her dress and assessed herself in the mirror. She rarely curled her hair, preferring to have it straightened, but she appreciated the effort Caroline went to. She smiled happily and joined her parents in the kitchen after saying goodbye to her best friend.

"Honey, you look wonderful." Elena smiled as her dad placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

Her mother's eyes glistened. "You look beautiful, Elena. I can't believe you're 18 already."

"Okay, let's go." Her dad herded them out the door. "We don't want to lose our table."

Her parents had booked a table at her favourite restaurant in town. It wasn't a posh establishment, but the food was great and Elena had been going there all her life. The owners treated her like family and she couldn't think of anywhere better to spend her 18th birthday. She just wished Jeremy was here. Her parents had said they could make some calls and bring him home for a day, but she didn't want to compromise his recovery.

It was 7pm and they had arrived at the front of the restaurant. As soon as they walked in the hostess greeted them with a bright smile.

"The Gilberts. I was wondering when I'd see you again, let me show you to your table." She led them around the room to the same table they would always sit at when they were here.

They sat down with their menu's and looked over the specials. A futile effort, they knew, because they would always order the same thing as usual. Elena would swear on her heart that they served the best lasagne in the world here. She couldn't resist it.

"There she is." The owner of the restaurant, Ellen, came out and gave Elena a big hug. "I can't believe you're 18 already. It seems like only yesterday you were in here with chocolate cake smeared all over your face."

Elena turned red with embarrassment as her parents laughed at the nostalgia.

"Here." Ellen, reached behind her back. "Since it's your birthday." She plopped a party hat on Elena's head that read '18 TODAY'.

"Thanks." Elena smiled, Ellen always was a bit kooky.

"Okay, I'll go tell the chef you'll have your usual." She left taking their menus with her.

The dinner was pleasant and Elena was having a really great night, she laughed more that night than she had in weeks. Just as Elena was about to begin another story about Jeremy from when they were young children, her mother's phone went off. And then her dads. They looked at each other solemnly before answering.

Elena knew this routine. There was an emergency at the hospital. It must have been a big accident if the both of them were needed. Her mother hung up sounding frustrated.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, there's an emergency and they need us right away." She reached across the table to clasp her daughters hand. "I really wish we could stay."

Elena valiantly held in her tears and didn't let her face show the sadness she felt inside. "It's okay."

Her parents looked at her dejectedly.

"Go." She ushered them. "Save lives."

Her parents stood and handed her some money to pay for dinner, abandoning their mostly eaten meals.

"I'm sorry, honey." Her dad apologised. "We'll make it up to you."

"You always do…" Elena muttered to herself as they walked away from her. The waiter returned and took their plates away.

She pulled the hat from her head and dropped it on the table. She sighed brokenly as she rested one hand under her chin.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

She looked up to see Mr Mikaelson standing over her, looking as handsome as ever, in a navy-blue suit.

"Um, no not at all." She managed to speak.

"Are you here alone, Miss Gilbert?" He looked around the room before his gaze landed back on her.

She sat up a bit straighter. "I was with my parents but they had to leave."

Elijah looked at her despondent expression. "Would you care for some company?" His heart beat a little faster.

Elena didn't know what to say. "Sure." It was the only word she could think of in that moment.

He pulled out the chair next to Elena's and sat down. He was fidgeting with his hands, so picked up her party hat to seem less nervous.

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you, Mr Mikaelson." She blushed a little, she always did when he was around.

"Please, we're not in school, call me Elijah." He offered.

 _Elijah. She tested the name in her mind. She never knew it before now, but what else would it be? It suited him perfectly._

"Okay, Elijah." She smiled. "But only if you call me Elena."

"Those terms seem satisfactory." They smiled at their attempt at banter.

"So, what were you doing here if you don't mind me asking?"

He shook his head. "I was having a drink. Sometimes marking essays gets a bit stressful."

Elena sympathised with him. "I can imagine."

Ellen once again made her way over to her table. "Elena, Peter told me your parents left. You're staying for dessert I hope?"

"I'm not sure…"

"I know it's not on the menu but, I had Erik make your favourite." She looked hopeful.

Elena smiled. "Well, you know I can't turn down that offer."

"Great!" She finally acknowledged Elena wasn't alone. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"Elijah Mikaelson." He held his hand out and she shook it, introducing herself.

"Will you be joining, Elena?"

Elijah looked to her for permission. "If that would be acceptable?" She nodded her head.

Ellen made her retreat back to the kitchen.

"You don't have to stay you know?" Elena didn't want to keep him from anything, she especially didn't want him feeling sorry for her.

"How could I leave you alone on your birthday?" He raised an eyebrow.

A small smile found its way onto her face.

"Why did your parents leave so suddenly?" He was curious as to why she was left by herself. On her birthday. That just wouldn't do.

"There was an emergency at the hospital." She explained. "They're surgeons so there was nothing they could do."

Elijah seemed to understand more. He reclined into his chair as their waiter brought over two plates. Elena watched as Elijah examined his plate.

"Petit Gateau." Elena supplied for him. "Have you ever had it?"

"I can't say I have." Elena smiled.

"Oh, you'll love it."

Elena's smile was infectious, he smiled back and thought about how normal this felt. That he _should_ be sitting in restaurants with Elena, smiling across at her over dessert. He looked back down to his plate and Elena watched for his reaction as he sliced into the cake with his spoon. The corners of his mouth turned upwards as a lava lake of chocolate poured out of the centre.

Elena began to eat her own. It was her favourite for a reason, it wasn't on the menu often and frankly she was glad. If it was up to her she would eat it every day.

Elijah smiled at the small noises of appreciation she made. He looked up and had to hold back a groan as her tongue came out and swiped across her bottom lip, seconds before her spoon disappeared into her mouth. Licking it clean. She was completely oblivious to what she was doing to him.

He snapped back into reality as she looked at him with a sweet smile on her face. He had to ask himself if this was really happening. He was with her on her birthday and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

All too soon though, they had finished dessert and Elena payed the bill with the money her parents had left her. Elijah had tried to step in and pay for her but she simply wouldn't have it, stating her parents had left her more than enough money. He relented.

Before they could leave the table, Elena's friend, Ellen, made her way over.

"Okay, Elena, it's a birthday tradition." She pulled a camera from behind her back.

"Not this year, Ellen."

She frowned.

"Do you see my family here?" She gestured around the restaurant.

"Well, I'm sure Elijah will take a photo with you." She nodded excitedly at him. His eyes widened slightly.

"I don't think-" Elena started.

Ellen threw her hands up in the air. "You let me take a photo on your birthday every year. I have an album of them since you were five years old! I won't skip a year, young lady."

Elena felt thoroughly chastised. Elijah chuckled slightly at the look on Elena's face. Ellen snapped her head in his direction.

She clicked her fingers. "Move your chair around."

He shuffled it a bit. "Closer. I need you in the frame."

He swallowed hard and Elena looked at him from the corner of her eye, her head bowed slightly. When Ellen was happy with where they were seated, she grinned.

"Okay, nice big smiles now."

Elena grinned into the camera as Elijah smiled and glanced at her face. She really was beautiful. The flash went off. Elijah panicked, she would see him looking at her like that.

The polaroid came out and Ellen snapped it away from Elena's prying hands.

"Are you ever going to let me see these photos?" she hmphed.

"Hm, one day maybe." And with that she left.

"How are you getting home?" He asked her as they left the restaurant.

"Um, my parents drove here, so I guess I'm walking."

"Allow me to escort you."

Elena looked at him. Elijah was such a gentleman, not just to her, everyone he met he treated with respect.

"That would be lovely, thank you." He held an arm out indicating for her to lead the way. She did, and they walked at a leisurely pace through the cool streets. Elena wasn't cold though, she welcomed the breeze as it hid how flushed she really was. The part of town they were in was mostly empty, it was Saturday night, so everyone who was out would be at one of the few bars they had or the club in the nearest town a few miles away.

They spoke on the walk, and joked and shared laughs. Elena imagined that they were headed home together after a date. Her eyes closed momentarily as she thought of how perfect it felt. She should have kept her eyes open because she didn't see the upturned slate on the floor, it was too late to do anything as her foot came into contact with it.

She squealed and braced her body to come into contact with hard concrete. The pain never came as Elijah had reacted quickly and gripped her arms and pulled her into his body.

Elena was breathing hard as she felt Elijah's breath hit her cheek. She opened her eyes and her mouth opened slightly at how close they were. Elijah removed his hands and stepped away from her once she was sure she could stand.

"You need to be more careful." His tone was slightly cold.

She nodded her head. "It seems I don't need anyone's help to hit the ground."

Elijah smirked at her attempt to lighten the situation. "No, you don't. Although, I would sleep easier at night if I knew you would watch where you are going."

She laughed lightly as they continued walking in the direction of her house. They rounded the corner of her street and Elena was saddened slightly that their time together was over.

"This is me." She pointed to a large house, that had no lights on inside and seemed devoid of life.

"Your parents aren't home yet." He stated.

"I imagine they'll just stay at the hospital all night and come back in the morning." She said trying her hardest not to sound bitter. "That's usually what they do when there's a big accident."

Elijah looked at his watch. It was only 8.30. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.

"Well, if you would like, I can stay for a while."

Elena schooled her features. "You don't have anything important to do tonight?"

He shook his head. _You are important._

"I don't want you to be alone on your birthday." He lied slightly. Yes, he didn't want her to be alone, but he desperately wanted to be with her on this special day.

"If you're sure." She said shrugging her shoulders. "I wouldn't mind some company."

He nodded as she opened her front door and flicked on the light switch. He took in the room, seeing a multitude of family portraits cover the walls. He smiled at a picture of Elena from when she couldn't have been more than 3 years old, holding a small boy in her lap.

Elena closed the door and watched him take in the room, assessing the photos on the walls. She led him through to the kitchen. It was the most neutral area she thought. She couldn't believe that he was in her house.

"Would you like something to drink?" Elena offered over her shoulder.

This was the first time he could really appreciate her dress. The table at the restaurant had obscured most of it and the walk home was too dark to see much. It was a pale lavender and reached just above her knees. The top flaunted her shoulders with thin spaghetti straps. It was a more modest dress than some girls of Elena's age liked to wear, but it showed the perfect amount of skin in his opinion. Concealing most of her chest but the tight material clung to her body in a way which made his mouth dry.

"Yes, coffee will be fine, thank you." He coughed.

He took a seat at the bar on the island in the middle of the room. He watched her kick off her shoes and shrink a few inches as she walked around the room.

He thanked her as she sat a mug down in front of him. He blew on the liquid and sipped hesitantly. He put it down and waited for it to cool.

"So, did you have a good birthday?"

She set her cup down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I did. I would have liked it better if my brother could be here." she smiled sadly.

"Your brother? The young man with you in those photos?"

"Jeremy, yeah." She sighed. "He's living in Denver for a while. He struggled with addiction."

"That must be tough." He sympathised.

"Yeah, he fought with depression after his girlfriend died and couldn't handle it." Her eyes moistened slightly.

"Tough for you also."

She looked up from the counter. "Yeah. I miss him a lot. He should be home soon though." She smiled at that and Elijah changed the topic to something lighter hearted.

They somehow came onto the topic of dating and it didn't occur to either of them, that this was a dangerous subject considering their relationship.

"I haven't been on a date in a long while." Elijah smirked.

"Why not?" Elena asked him.

He shrugged.

Elena scoffed. "Please."

"What?" He was confused.

"You're the total package."

Elijah choked on his coffee and winced as some burnt his skin through his shirt.

"Aw, want me to kiss it better?" Elena asked far too sweetly.

 _What was she doing? Elijah's heart almost flew out his chest._

Elena smirked and laughed a little at his expression.

"I'm teasing you, Elijah." She picked up their mugs and took them to the sink.

 _What a little mix. Two can play at that game._

"You should be careful, I might just take you up on that offer." He heard Elena's little gasp and smirked as she turned around.

She let out a breath as she saw his face. "You're teasing me." She folded her arms.

Elijah tried and failed to look innocent. "I'll get you back for that you know."

"I can't wait." He winked at her and checked his watch it was almost 10. "I better get going."

She walked him to the front door where he put his coat back on.

"Thank you, Elijah." She said in a small voice.

"What for?"

"You sort of saved my birthday."

He looked at her affectionately before she raised her head and he looked away.

"It was my pleasure." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. _A complete gentleman, she thought._

She opened her door and watched him walk down the drive, she waved at him as he turned around and gave her one last look.

Elena closed her door and slid down the back of it. She looked at the hand that moments ago had Elijah's lips pressed against it. A shiver went down her spine at the memory. She stood after a few minutes and made her way upstairs, changing into her pyjamas. This would surely be a birthday she would never forget.

 _Elijah's POV._

Elijah breathed heavily as he walked away from Elena's house. He turned around and saw her standing in the doorway. She waved to him. He waved back and watched as she closed the door.

Did all that really happen? If he wasn't mistaken, Elena was flirting with him. She was so ingenuous she had unknowingly been teasing him all night.

He shivered at the memory of Elena's skin on his lips. He was so sure she would pull her hand away and kick him out, that he had imagined the connection between them. But she hadn't, and he had never been so thankful.

The walk back to his house was relatively short. He thought over the night and wondered how their new dynamic would change things in school. It was a risky game they were playing, but he didn't want to stop. He ran his hands through his hair as he thought about the risks, but the image of Elena smiling and her reddened face when he teased her told him that she was worth it all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I wasn't sure about this chapter but I've made the decision to go ahead and post it anyway.**

 **lexijace- Thanks for leaving a review, I'm glad you are enjoying it.**

 **SirenLuna- Thank you! I've got pretty much all of it planned out so I know what I want to write, but sometimes I get little bits of inspiration and have to switch it up a bit which means it takes a little longer to get posted.**

 **Angel of Darkness Forever- I'm glad you like it. Your last review certainly made me anxious.**

 **ArabellaValeriG- Ask and you shall receive**

 **Also, thanks to my guest reviewers. All of you guys rock. I dedicate this chapter to all of you.**

 **-Ace**

Elijah woke up that morning with a smile on his face. His dreams had been nice but it was nothing compared to reality. On Saturday night, he had spent the evening with his sweet Elena. She had succeeded in making him fall harder than he ever had before. Everything felt so natural with her, conversation flowed easily, smiles never disappeared and there was this connection between them that he couldn't describe. Now, their relationship had changed and they were in a whole new territory. It made him that nervous kind of excited. He knew he was attracted to her and, Elijah wasn't vain, but he knew she felt something for him.

He parked his car outside the school and walked to the staff room with a smile, gathering strange looks from students and staff as he walked. He wasn't a very externally emotional man, that was something Elena had brought out in him. He hadn't even noticed the happy countenance in his step until the gym teacher clapped him on the back.

"You look happy."

Elijah smiled uneasily. He didn't really know him that well. He didn't really know any of the teachers that well.

"You get laid or something?" He laughed and took a bite of his donut.

Elijah immediately dropped all pretences of having a polite conversation with this man.

"Woah! What's with the sour face?"

"I have to get to class." Elijah left the room with a stony face. He hadn't slept with Elena but he didn't like that man implying anything of the sort. That was personal and he didn't want anyone disrespecting her like that.

His frown slowly morphed into a smile as he got closer to his classroom, knowing that Elena would be inside. He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Elena sitting in her seat, chatting with her blonde friend. She looked up when she noticed the door had opened and gave him a shy smile and turned so she was facing the front of the room. What luck that she was on the front row. He would have a great view of her for the next hour.

"Okay, if everyone would please take their seats." He set his briefcase down on his desk. "I hope everyone spent their weekend studying for today's quiz."

He smirked as most of the students groaned in annoyance. He passed the test booklets out stopping half a second longer at Elena's desk.

"Okay, you have an hour, begin." He watched as students scrunched their faces in confusion and tried to remember a _nything._

About 20 minutes into the test he looked up from his book as Elena appeared at the edge of his desk. He watched as she began sharpening her pencil. Her eyes travelled to his face as he studied her. When she was done sharpening, she brought the pencil to her mouth. Elijah watched as her lips turned into a pout and she blew some of the shavings onto the floor.

She inspected it before she held it out to him.

"Sharp enough?" She asked in a hushed tone.

He took the pencil from her hand and looked at it closely before snapping the graphite tip on his desk, making it blunt. He shrugged his shoulders and handed it back to her with a smirk.

She took the pencil from him and began sharpening it again, enjoying the way his eyes had turned heavy. Again, she looked at the pencil before presenting it to him with a questioning gaze. He leaned forward slightly and blew off the extra shavings. She blushed slightly and he quickly looked around to make sure no one had seen their interaction. All heads were faced down. He breathed a small sigh of relief and watched as Elena walked back to her desk, extra swag in her hips.

The bell rang and he watched as Elena slowly packed her bag, making her the last one in the room.

"How was it?" He asked as she handed him her test.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It was fine. I think you're going easy on us Mr Mikaelson."

"Hmm, well maybe I'll make the next one harder." His voice seemed to purr.

"Mr Mikaelson." A gruff voice broke the silence. Their heads snapped to the door to see another teacher stood there. "The librarian was looking for you."

"Thank you." He left and Elijah stood, swinging his suit jacket back on.

Elena caught a whiff of his cologne and her legs trembled as it washed over her. He seemed to sense this as he smirked at her.

"Have a good day, Elena."

She blushed as he used her first name. "You too, sir."

She watched as he left the room and sucked in a deep breath, before she too left and walked to her next class.

"Hey, where have you been all day?" Caroline asked as she joined Elena at the lunch table.

"What do you mean?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You've been in 'la la land' since this morning. What is going on with you?"

"Nothing. I promise."

"Did your birthday not go well?" Caroline hadn't seen her since that day. "I knew it." She said when Elena averted her eyes.

"What happened?" Caroline began to interrogate her.

What was she supposed to say? No way could she tell Caroline what happened. One, she didn't know how Elena really felt about him. Two, Caroline would immediately want to tell Tyler. Three…there was nothing really to tell and Caroline would make a big deal out of it. So, she settled for half the truth.

"My parents got called to the hospital half way through dinner."

"Why didn't you call me? You could have come to the club with us!" Caroline's voice screeched.

Elena winced. "I didn't mind."

"So, what did you do? Just go home and spend the rest of your birthday alone?"

"…Yeah." Elena was no good at lying, she just hoped Caroline didn't realise, from looking at her though she was too annoyed with Elena to take notice.

The end of the day rolled around and Elena found herself wandering down to the music studio hidden beneath the theatre. She hadn't been down there in a while, but her fingers were itching to make music.

Elijah had found the librarian shortly after he left his classroom.

"Miss Mallinson, I heard you were looking for me."

"Ah yes, Mr Mikaelson. I heard a rumour you could play the piano." She asked eagerly.

"You heard right."

She sighed happily. "Great. Our music teacher was supposed to play for the talent show auditions next week but she's out of town and I was wondering if you could fill in for her?"

"Yes, that should be fine." Elijah agreed.

"Thank you, there's a piano in the theatre basement if you need to practice." The conversation ended as she left the room and Elijah decided he would need to practice at some point. It had been quite a while since he had played but he hoped it was like riding a bicycle, you never really forget.

The end of the day came and he decided now would be the best time to practice. He made his way down to the theatre after turning down the wrong hall multiple times. As he descended the stairs of the theatre, he could hear a melody travelling the corridor.

He opened it slowly, unsure if he was intruding on a lesson. Her back was turned to him but he recognised her and smiled. She finished her song and he clapped, making her jump and turn around.

"I didn't know you played." He said as he walked closer to her.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I haven't in a while."

"Me neither. I came down here to practice."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "You play?"

To demonstrate he sat on the bench next to her and began playing. Elena watched in awe as his hands danced across the keys, it was a beautiful sight to see. She smiled as she recognised the song and began playing alongside him.

"Wow. You play well." Elena breathed when the song stopped.

"As do you, sweet Elena."

She swallowed hard. "Why did you decide to practice? I don't think you need it."

He laughed lightly. "Thank you. It seems I've been tasked with helping out at the talent show." He turned as Elena started giggling. "Did I day something funny?"

"No," she tried to stop. "but I don't envy you. Not to sound cruel but some of the singers that audition could really use a voice lesson or two."

"I don't think you have a cruel bone in your body." He looked into her eyes and she stopped laughing immediately.

When he looked at her like that she couldn't think, she could barely remember to breathe. He looked like he was going to kiss her as he inclined his head slightly. Elena held her breath as his hand reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her eyes closed momentarily as his fingertips lightly grazed her skin. She opened them as his fingers trailed along her jaw. Elijah seemed to realise what he was doing and dropped his hand.

"What else can you play?" he asked in a slightly husky voice.

She placed her hands on the keys and Elijah wished they were on him.

Elena decided to play one of her favourite pieces.

Elijah knew after a few seconds what she was playing. Nuvole Bianche by Einaudi. Elijah would never forget the first time he heard that song. It was such a beautiful piece. Elijah watched entranced as Elena closed her eyes and played with every ounce of emotion the song deserved. He felt a tear slide down his cheek as she came to his favourite part of the song.

She opened her eyes as the song came to an end. She turned and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"You're crying." She reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes. Elijah held her hand onto his cheek as she tried to take it back.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He closed his eyes and stoked the hand that was on his face. He pulled her hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss onto her palm.

Opening his eyes, he saw her chest heaving and her cheeks pink.

"Are you still teasing me?" She bit her lip.

He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "No. No more teasing." His hand slid into her hair and he pressed his lips to hers. He heard Elena moan lightly at his gentle caress. Her lips moulded perfectly against his own. He poked his tongue out and licked along her lips as he pulled her closer to him.

Elena gasped and she felt his tongue enter her mouth. She was involuntarily brought back to the first time she had kissed someone like this. She was 15 and she had been at a party, one of her last, when a game of spin the bottle dictated she kissed a boy. The kiss was sloppy and awkward. She pushed the memory aside as her hands clutched onto Elijah's shirt, running her hands over his chest.

They broke apart when the need to breathe was too strong. She breathed heavily and rested her forehead against his, her breath hitting his lips.

"Elena.." His voice was husky.

She stopped his speech as she pulled his lips back to hers. She heard him groan as she rested her hand on his thigh. By this point her heart was battering at her chest, begging to be released. A bang from above made them spring apart.

The looked up and realised someone was just walking about the theatre, it was 4pm, most likely the janitor. They laughed quietly at the realisation.

Elijah stroked her hair back and looked brightly at her, his eyes lingering on her kiss swollen lips. He went to kiss her again but she pulled away. He wanted to speak but nothing would leave his mouth. Why had she denied him?

"What does this mean to you, Elijah?" She asked timidly. She didn't know how deep his feelings ran but she really liked him and she didn't know how to process the idea that he just wanted sex.

Elijah noticed the sadness that flickered across her face for a brief second. "Oh, sweet Elena." He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. "You have such a hold on me, it's a wonder I can control myself around you."

He saw her mouth drop open slightly, so he kissed her shock away with a single, soft touch.

"I like you, Elena. More than I should. I simply can't help myself." He confessed deciding there was no reason to hold back now.

"I like you too, Elijah." She felt like a child, she more than liked him, but she couldn't tell him that. "I really like you."

"I'm glad." He smiled. "I know this is unconventional and we could get into a lot of trouble if anyone finds out…but I can't stay away from you. Please," he whispered against her cheek. "say I don't have to stay away."

Elena responded by placing a sweet kiss on his lips. It lasted only a few seconds but Elijah would surrender all of his possessions to have her kiss him like that again.

"So…does this make you my boyfriend?" She laughed as Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"I'm too old to be anyone's boyfriend." He sighed as Elena pouted, he wanted nothing more than to kiss it off her lips. He was afraid now that he knew what it was like to kiss her he would never be able to stop. "But, I guess for you I can make an exception."

He smiled when she did.

"How old are you exactly?" She asked when he tried to kiss her again.

"29." He held her face in both of his hands. "Now, shut up and let me kiss you." She smiled against his mouth as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. She heard a rumble in his chest when she started running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.

She whimpered when he pulled his lips away from hers, but he immediately pressed them against her neck. She was embarrassed when she moaned loudly. Elijah apparently liked it as he renewed his efforts and nipped her lightly, not hard enough to leave any marks.

Elena felt an uncomfortable throbbing emanate between her legs. No one had ever made her feel this way before. It was too much. She pulled away from him a second time.

"Do you mind if we stop?" Her voice was quiet. Like she genuinely thought he would be upset.

"Of course, my sweet Elena." He assuaged her fears.

"I'm sorry I just-"

"Shhh." He pulled her into him for a hug and she buried her head against his neck. "You don't have to explain. Never do anything you aren't comfortable with, Elena. Promise you will tell me if I'm moving too fast for you."

"I promise." She whispered against his neck and smiled contentedly as she breathed in his scent.

Abruptly, she pulled back and jumped up.

"I have to go! I'm going to be late at the shelter." He smiled as she ran around picking up her belongings.

"The shelter?"

"Yeah, I volunteer there some days." She threw her coat over her shoulders.

He came over and placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her fussing.

"You are incredible." She blushed at his compliment.

He brought her in for one last kiss and she smirked when he zipped up her coat, the sound echoing around the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said and started to leave.

"Elena?" His voice stopped her.

She turned and saw him holding her phone in his hand, smirking at her. She ran over to him and grabbed her phone. Not being able to stop herself she kissed him quickly.

"I really have to go." She pulled herself away from him and left as quickly as she could.

She breathed in deeply as she left the school and the cool wind hit her face. _Did that really just happen?_ She pinched herself to make sure she was awake. She climbed into her car and drove to the shelter. She didn't know how much help she would be. She would definitely only be able to think about one thing for the rest of the day.

The shelter proved an adequate distraction however, as a poor little dog had been brought there after being abandoned on the highway nearest to their town. She was shaking but Elena seemed to calm her and they connected quickly. Therefore, Elena had been given to honour of naming her. She settled on Coco, given that she was a chocolate Labrador. Elena hated to leave her later that night, but she found the strength to go home. It was the second time that day she'd had to drag herself away from something.

She was settling into bed after a late dinner when her phone beeped. She picked it up and saw she had a message from 'E'. Unlocking her phone, she smiled when she realised Elijah must have put his number in there before he gave it back to her earlier.

 _Elijah: How was your evening?_

 _Elena: Fine. I don't recall asking for your number._

 _Elijah: I know. I thought you'd want it._

Elena smiled at her screen.

 _Elena: For what reason, hm?_

Her smile grew as her phone started ringing. She answered and brought it up to her ear.

"So we can talk whenever we want." Elijah's rich voice seemed even more sinful over the phone.

"That's very presumptuous of you. What makes you think I want to talk to you right now?" Elena said with a teasing lilt.

"I thought we were past teasing, my dear?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Never." She giggled.

"Excellent." His voice sent shivers through her. "Sleep tight, sweet Elena. I'll see you tomorrow."

She loved it when he called her that. Elijah was a man. A gentleman. She couldn't imagine him calling her anything else. 'Baby' or 'princess' seemed far too beneath him. She cringed just thinking about it.

"Goodnight, Elijah." She ended the call and crawled deep beneath the covers.

 _At Elijah's._

He flopped onto his bed after ending the call and sighed deeply. He had his Elena. This morning he thought his day couldn't possibly get better. But, when Elena had played for him he couldn't deny his aching for her any longer. This had been one of the best days of his life and his relationship with her had just begun. He didn't want to fall asleep. He wanted to stay awake and think of his Elena.


	6. Chapter 6

**WARNING FRIENDS: THIS CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN A NON-CON SEXUAL SCENARIO. I PROMISE IT IS NOT GRAPHIC BUT PLEASE SKIP IF YOU NEED TO. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN.**

 **-Ace**

Elena woke up early the next morning and wanted to call Elijah. She didn't want to seem clingy though, they had only been together a day. But…he did give her his number for the purpose of being able to 'talk whenever they want'. She made her mind up and pressed the call button. The dialling tone seemed to go on forever before he answered.

"Hello?" His voice was low and husky, he must have been asleep.

"Did I wake you?"

Elijah smiled as her sweet voice travelled through the phone.

"I don't mind." He really didn't. Elijah was a love-sick fool, if it were up to him he would never sleep again, if only to watch over her. "How did you sleep?"

"Good, I had a dream about you."

Elijah sat up in bed and quirked an eyebrow. "You did?"

"Mmhm." Elena mumbled her response.

"What was it about?"

"Well-" Elena started before a shout interrupted her.

"Elena!" It was her mother. "Breakfast is ready."

"I have to go." She heard Elijah groan, obviously displeased.

"See you in a little while."

Elena hopped off her bed and went downstairs to join her parents for breakfast. It was a rarity that they all got to eat together.

"You're in a good mood." Her father noted when she skipped into the kitchen.

She shrugged her shoulders and sat down. "I had a good day yesterday."

"Your father is right." Her mother agreed. "You're practically glowing."

"I'm just happy." She bit into her toast and hopped off the stool before they started questioning her further. "I'm gonna get ready for school.

Elena arrived at school later that morning and headed straight to science class. She wouldn't see Elijah until the end of the day, but she didn't mind, knowing they were in the same building was enough.

After a few hours, the bell for lunch sounded and Elena rubbed her eyes. She usually liked history, but even she found that lesson unbearable.

She was walking down the hall to her locker when a hand reached out and yanked her by the arm. She shrieked quietly as she was pulled through a door, she spun around and released a breath as she saw Elijah laughing at her.

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Elijah! You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry." He looked at her with slightly pouted lips and puppy dog eyes.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked coyly and placed his hands on her hips.

"You know exactly what. Now, why did you bring me here?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I thought we could have lunch together." He pressed his lips to hers. "I couldn't wait until the end of the day to see you."

Elena smiled. Right now, she should be on her way to meet Caroline for lunch like she always does, but here was her insanely gorgeous boyfriend asking to spend time with her and she couldn't find it within her to deny him.

"I would love to." She decided she would make it up to Caroline by bringing her favourite breakfast to her house tomorrow morning. She could mentally hear Caroline cheering her on in her head to go for it.

"Great." He took her hand and led her over to his desk. He pulled a chair over close to his and presented her a plate of pasta. All he could make on short notice.

"This is delicious." Elena spoke with a mouthful of food. Elijah smiled as he watched her quickly eat her food. Within a few minutes both of their plates were empty.

"What?" Elena asked after she noticed Elijah staring at her.

"Come here." He held his hand out to her. She took it and stood up, gasping quietly when he pulled her down to sit on his lap.

"Elijah, we shouldn't do this here." She sighed when his lips touched just below her ear.

"No one will see us. I locked the door."

She couldn't take it anymore and his words gave her the courage to ravage his mouth. His touch sent an electric shock through her as his hand slid up her leg. Stopping half way up her thigh. Elena was glad she had decided to wear a dress today, as he slowly drew random patterns on her skin.

"So," he started when they parted for air. "We were interrupted this morning. Tell me about your dream."

Elena smiled and shook her head. "I am not telling you."

"Oh, come on. I was in it; don't you think I have a right to know?" He nipped her bottom lip.

Elena looked at him, deliberating. "Nope." She decided and tried to stand up.

She squealed when he grabbed onto her waist and pulled her back against him. "Oh, no you don't." He nuzzled her neck and held her to him tighter when she giggled and tried to escape.

"Elijah!" She spoke through her laughter.

Just then the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Elijah groaned and rested his head against her shoulder.

"I'll see you in a few hours." Elena stroked his hair.

"Yes, but I won't be able to do this" he pressed little kisses down her neck. "when you're in here with a dozen other students."

"How unfortunate for you." Elena flashed him a grin as she stood and unlocked the door.

Elijah ran his hands through his hair as she left. That girl would be the death of him.

"Elena!" She froze in her spot when she heard Caroline running up behind her. "Where were you?"

"Sorry, Care. Mr Mikaelson was helping me with some extra credit." _Please don't see through me._

"You? Extra credit?" Caroline laughed. "Elena, English Lit is one of your best classes."

 _Crap._ "Yeah, I didn't do so good on that quiz yesterday."

"Ugh, that quiz sucked. You sure you did that bad?" Elena nodded. "Ouch, well it's not all that bad."

"How so?"

"You got to spend some time alone with that hottie." Caroline smirked.

"Let's get to class." Elena laughed as she dragged her friend along.

The rest of the week went by slowly, the nights that Elena wasn't working or visiting Bea, she would spend with Elijah, playing the piano. They had come a long way in such a short time, the bond between them growing stronger with every minute they spent together.

Elena was waiting in the music room for Elijah as usual. She had gotten there earlier than usual when gym class ended abruptly with one of the girls breaking their ankle in a game of field hockey that got a little too rough.

She was playing the piano when she noticed it was a little out of tune. She lifted the lid and started rummaging around, not noticing she was no longer alone in the room. A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into his embrace, sighing when a pair of lips skimmed across her neck.

She turned her head to meet his lips when she jumped back in shock.

"Stefan!" She yelled.

"Surprise." He smirked and placed a bruising kiss on her lips.

 **(Trigger warning)**

Elena struggled away from him. "What the hell are you doing?" She screamed and tried to run past him. Stefan was too fast for her and grabbed her, spinning them around so she was pressed against a wall.

"Let me go!"

"Let's not pretend, Elena." His breath was hot on her face. "This game we've been playing is fun, but I'm tired of it."

"What game?" Her lips trembled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Shh." He placed a finger over her lips. "No more talking."

"Stefan, stop." Tears pooled in her eyes. _Where was Elijah?_

"You don't have to pretend anymore, baby. I know how badly you want me." He laughed. "Flirting with Mr Mikaelson to make me jealous, that was adorable."

"I wasn't trying to make you jealous, Stefan. I told you I only wanted to be friends." His body was crushed against hers, she had no chance of escaping. "Please, stop."

"Stop, Elena? How could I stop?" He sounded angry. "You make me feel this way and then you reject me!"

"Stefan-"

"BE QUIET!" He raised his hand and hit her across the face. "I'm sorry, princess."

"Stefan, please let me go." She couldn't control the tears pouring from her eyes.

"It's okay. I'll make it better."

Elena closed her eyes as his hands roamed her body. She choked on the bile rising at the back of her throat as he ground his hips against hers. She heard him moan.

"God, you feel so good Elena." He pulled his head away from her neck and tore her shirt right down the middle.

Elena's mind was screaming at her to move. To fight. She was so scared though, she could hardly breathe.

"I asked around about you, Elena." He bit the skin across the top of her breasts while simultaneously rocking against her. "No boyfriends. Are you a virgin, Elena?" She was silent.

He leaned up to her ear and started whispering to her.

"No!" She screamed as his hands reached down to her belt. "Stop!" She pounded on his chest. Just as she heard her zip fly open, her body crashed to the floor as Stefan was no longer holding her up. He crawled down over her and tried to remove her jeans.

"Get off me!" She put all effort she had into hitting him and trying to wriggle out from underneath him. "Leave me alone!"

She took a deep breath as the weight of Stefan on her chest was gone. Quickly, she scurried backwards until she hit a wall. She could vaguely hear shouting, but she couldn't make it out as her body went numb.

 **(End)**

 _Elijah's POV._

He was finishing up his last class as he checked his watch. Time to meet Elena. He was about to leave, when the librarian entered his room. _God, that woman._

"Mr Mikaelson, I wanted to talk to you about the talent show." She handed him some sheet music. "The students who will be singing have handed in their songs, are you able to play all of these?"

He skimmed through the selection. "Yes, these shall be no problem."

"Excellent. How is your practice going? You'll be in top shape by Wednesday, right?"

"Yes, I shall imagine so. If you'll excuse me, I have to go." He excused himself. He hadn't seen Elena since this morning, and he desperately needed her company.

He walked the familiar halls to his secret place with Elena.

"No!" He heard a muffled cry. _That sounded like Elena._

He ran the last few feet to the door and pulled it open.

"Stop!" Elijah saw red as Elena screamed for help and tried to escape from the assaulting figure, only to be slammed into the floor.

He ran over as she cried out relentlessly and ripped her attacker from her body, flinging him to the other side of the room. It was Stefan Salvatore.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER AGAINST HER WILL!" Elijah was enraged, never in his life had he wanted to hurt someone so much.

"Let go of me." Stefan spoke through gritted teeth, Elijah was crushing his windpipe.

"Shut up!" Elijah yelled in his face. He turned his head when he heard Elena sobbing and Stefan took this opportunity to wriggle out from his hold.

He punched Elijah in the face when he tried to restrain him. Elijah retaliated and knocked him to the floor with one blow. When he was down Elijah hit him again, and again till blood poured from his nose. He was surprised when Stefan fought back and flipped the situation so he was now on the floor. He cried out in pain as Stefan kicked him in the ribs.

He saw the boy run for the door and tried to stop him. He missed his ankle by a fraction of an inch and was prepared to run after him, when he saw Elena from the corner of his eye. She was curled up in a ball, shivering. He let the boy go and crawled over to her.

"Elena." He approached her slowly. "Can you hear me?" She was unresponsive.

He placed his hand on her cheek. She shied away and started panicking.

"Elena, it's me." He tried to soothe her. "It's Elijah."

She seemed to calm down. "Elijah?" Her voice was small.

Realisation dawned on her and she threw herself into his arms. Elijah's heart broke just a little bit more as she cried into his chest.

"Oh, my sweet Elena. I've got you." He held her tightly. "You're safe."

He tried to pull away when she whimpered and held onto him tighter.

"It's okay, I won't leave you." He pulled his blazer off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He changed their positions so she was sat in his lap, curled into his body.

He stroked her hair and whispered sweet nothings until her sobs died down and she was just shaking. He didn't want to keep her here any longer, keeping her curled in his arms he stood and began walking out through the theatre. School had long since finished so the halls were empty.

It was a short walk to his car and he hoped Elena was settled enough to sit by herself, if not then he would carry her all the way to the police station. The weather be damned.

"Elena, can you get in the car?"

She nodded to the best of her ability, as he reluctantly set her down and opened the car. He walked around to the other side when she was strapped in.

"Where are we going?" Her voice was still shaky.

"To the police station."

The drive was silent and Elijah's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He parked his car outside the station and ran around to Elena's door. She spun her legs around but didn't get out of the car.

"Elena?" She looked up to Elijah. He was looking at her so sweetly. Tears rolled down her cheeks, he wiped them away gently.

She stood and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't care that they were in public and anyone could see them. Elijah picked her up again and carried her inside.

"Elena?" She recognised the sheriffs voice. Caroline's mom. "What happened?" She rushed over as Elijah set her on her feet.

Sherriff Forbes looked at her waiting for an explanation, but Elena couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"Maybe, there is somewhere private we can do this?" Elijah interjected, there weren't many people around but she shouldn't have to relive it out here.

"Of course, come this way." She ushered them into her office. They sat down on the sofa and the Sherriff in the chair adjacent. "Can you tell me what happened, Elena?"

She looked to Elijah, unsure, he nodded that she should continue.

"Stefan attacked me." She all but whispered.

Miss Forbes looked to Elijah. "Maybe you should give us some privacy."

Elena grabbed his hand when he went to stand up. "Please, don't leave." Her body language screamed unstable, like the ground would fall from beneath her at any minute.

Elijah looked to the Sherriff as he sat back down.

"Okay, Elena. Start at the beginning."

 **(Elena recounts what happened.)**

She swallowed hard. "I-I was in the room beneath the theatre. I go down there sometimes to play the piano."

Elijah felt the guilt raging through him.

"I didn't hear him come in."

"Keep going, Elena." The Sherriff looked on sympathetically. It was hard to see Elena like this, she had known her since she was a kid and thought of her like a second child.

"He, um, h-he put his arms around me and started kissing my neck…"

Elijah's hand tightened around Elena's as he realised she must have thought it was him. He wished he could go back in time and beat that boy bloody.

"I didn't understand."

"Didn't understand what, Elena?" The Sherriff probed.

"The way he was talking, like we had this relationship. He said he didn't want to play our game anymore." Her forehead was scrunched up in confusion.

"Likely, he was unbalanced. If he believed you had a relationship, he would have seen things you did in everyday life and thought you did them for him. Like you were sending him a message." The Sherriff explained.

"But I didn't-I wasn't doing anything to make him believe..."

"I know, Elena. It's not your fault. What happened after that?"

"He pushed me against the wall. He was too strong, I couldn't move." She stopped to breathe. "He ripped my shirt open…and then he said some stuff."

"What did he say, Elena?"

She closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall.

"I know it must be hard, Elena." The Sherriff reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But, it's better to do this now, and get it out of the way."

"He-he said…that he was going to…make love to me." She could feel the bile at the back of her throat again. "And that no matter what happened…he would always be my first…a-and there's nothing anyone could do to take that away from him. That I would always belong to him. That's when Eli-Mr Mikaelson came in."

Elijah's jaw set as he mentally amended his earlier statement. _He wanted to go back in time and beat him to death._

 _How dare he?! Elena was his and if/when she wanted to be with him, it would be a thing of beauty. Not something to be stolen._

 **(End)**

"Sherriff Forbes?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"Could you call my parents please?"

She stood up. "Of course. I'll be right outside."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, Elena." Elijah kissed the back of her hand.

"It's not your fault."

"If I had only-"

"Please, Elijah!" Elena interrupted him. "I don't need you to apologise." She leaned into him. "Just…hold me."

Elijah comforted her until her parents arrived. Elijah saw them arrive through the window, his arms dropped from around her.

"Your parents are here." He explained when she looked confused. "I should go. I'll talk to you soon." He kissed her on top of the head before they got caught.

He left the room as the Sherriff pointed in his direction, showing the Gilbert's where their daughter was. They rushed over and barely looked at him as they ran in the room and engulfed Elena in a big, family hug.

He spoke with the Sherriff who asked for his statement before he went home. Elijah was so worked up he was sure he would not sleep. He went to the gym in his basement and started pounding the punching bag. And he didn't stop until the sun came out and his hands were swollen.

 **A/N: hmm, what will Elijah do?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone, big apologies for being away for so long. I honestly don't have a good reason, just life caught up with me I guess and certain things had to be put to one side for a time. Please accept this double update as my apology. I'M BACK. Also, if anyone is reading my other fic, '** _ **Getting to know you',**_ **I promise to have that updated within the next few days.**

 **-Sincerely Ace.**

Elijah walked into school that morning, with undeniable rage painted on his face. He paid no attention to the whispers of the students and no one dared approach him. The bruise covering his cheekbone was painfully apparent against his pale skin, the lights above him managing to make it look worse than it was.

That morning, before he arrived at school, he went to see the sheriff. Curious to see if they had apprehended the Salvatore boy yet. They hadn't. He had demanded to know what was taking so long. Why had they not arrested him? The sheriff had told him that he had not returned home and they didn't know where he was.

Elijah left the station more infuriated than he had been the night before. That boy thinks he can get away with this. If Elijah had to, he would track him down himself. He had a large family fortune just waiting to be exhausted, he'd hire the best private investigator if needed.

The only thing that would have been able to remove the frown etched onto his face, would be his Elena. She wouldn't be in school today. Elijah would have to do without seeing her beautiful face for the time being. She would return to school when she was ready.

The week wore on, Elena had yet to return to school and Stefan still hadn't been found. Elijah's contact with Elena had been scarce, he couldn't go to her house to see her with her parents being there more often since the attack. Their phone calls had been non-existent and texts were short and infrequent.

Elena was laid in bed staring at her phone. She had texted Elijah 2 hours ago and he still hadn't replied. She thought about ringing him, she missed hearing his voice and not seeing him at all this week was killing her. She didn't know if she was ready to go back to school though. She knew Stefan had run away and no one knew where he was. She wasn't even sure if anyone at school knew what was going on. The thought of everyone staring at her, going back to the place where it happened, made her skin itch.

Caroline knew of course. Elena thought about keeping it from her but dismissed it almost immediately. She knew that if something like this happened to Caroline, she would want to know so she could support her best friend. She wouldn't want her to suffer in silence.

So, Caroline came to see her every day after school, and brought homework that Elena requested. She didn't want her grades to suffer, even though Caroline said she shouldn't bother. She was always great at distracting Elena. Every day when she came over, Elena could escape her thoughts for a while and get lost in nonsense and trivial gossip. She was now a little addicted to reality TV, preferring to delve into the problems of others than her own.

It was Saturday morning. Her parents had to be at the hospital, feeling guilty for leaving their daughter alone, and Caroline had to go the Timberwolves next game in the town over, so she was alone today. And Elijah still hadn't messaged her back. Why was he being so distant? Didn't he know how much she needed him?

She heard a knock at the door, interrupting her thoughts. Climbing out of bed, she slowly walked down the stairs. Curiosity and a little anxiety running through her. She looked out of the peephole before she opened the door to reveal Bea and Jenny, her boss from the shelter.

"Hey…what are you guys doing here?" Elena asked from the doorway.

"You haven't been to see me this week and I was worried about you. Miss McCloud here," she gestured to Jenny. "was visiting her grandfather at the home and I knew you two worked together. She hadn't seen you either." Bea explained in a soft voice.

Elena couldn't tell her. She didn't want any more people than necessary to look at her so pitifully.

"Sorry, I've been sick all week." An obvious lie, anyone could see that, but they didn't question her.

"You've been missed." Jenny smiled. "Little Coco, has been wondering where you are."

Elena felt guilty, she had completely forgotten about her fury friend. "How is she?" Just then she heard howling coming from the car parked out front.

"I have a favour to ask." Jenny walked over to her car. She opened it and Coco jumped out and darted to Elena. She quickly kneeled down before her and lavished the dog with attention. "I was hoping she could spend the day with you. She's been restless and not eating."

Elena frowned at the dog. "What's wrong girl? You know you have to eat."

"So…what do you say?" Jenny looked at her expectantly. "Can she spend the day?"

"Of course." She pushed the door open and lead the dog inside. "I'll take care of her."

The two women smiled.

"Come and see me when you're feeling better, dear." Bea reached out and squeezed her hand.

After that they left and Elena went inside.

"Coco!" She called and the dog padded over to her. "Okay, let's see if I have anything for you to eat."

Elena scanned the fridge. She didn't have any dog food, but there was some left-over chicken from the night before. Cutting it into pieces, Coco sat and watched her with interest. She placed the plate on the floor.

The dog stared at it for a minute before resting her head against Elena's knee and whining. "Hm, I guess you prefer beef." Elena muttered as she brushed Coco's head. The minutes ticked by and she'd had no luck in getting her to eat.

"Come on, girl." Elena motivated the dog. "You need to eat something." She held a piece of chicken up to her mouth and smiled when she sniffed it, before sighing when the dog ran away.

She found her a few seconds later scratching at the door. "You want to go out?" Elena asked nervously, she hadn't left the safety of her home all week. She gave in when Coco tilted her head and whined. Running upstairs she changed out of her pyjamas into jeans and a t-shirt.

"Let's go." She said as she clipped the leash into place. Opening the door, Elena set off down the street, in the direction of the woods. It would be the place with the least people and offered the best opportunity to find a nice stick for her companion. They had been walking for 20 minutes when Coco pulled hard against Elena and the lead flew out of her hand.

"Coco!" She yelled as the dog darted off through the forest. Running after her, she called for the dog to slow down. She groaned when she heard a splash.

"Please don't be in the water." She panted. She groaned again when she saw Coco on a small island in the middle of the lake.

"Okay, you've had your fun, now come back here." She watched as the dog put her first two feet into the water and jumped back whining.

What was she going to do? She did not want to enter the freezing water and swim all the way across. Something in her broke when she heard the dog cry out, asking for help.

"What am I doing?" Elena asked herself. "She needs me. She's scared and she needs my help and I'm just standing here."

Elena ran into the water and sucked in a breath as she realised how cold it was. "Don't worry, girl. I'm coming." She was in up to her chest now and the water felt like a dagger. Her muscles became stiff and rigid.

"Elena!" She turned when she heard a voice call her name. She was halfway to her destination but she could see the figure clearly. It was Elijah. "What are you doing?! You'll freeze!" His voice travelled across the calm surface of the lake.

"I have to get her!" Elena called back. She turned when she heard a splash and smiled at Coco meeting her halfway.

"There we go." Elena started to walk back towards the lake's edge. "That wasn't so hard was- "Her foot slipped on a rock and she yelped as the water covered her body. Coming back up she took a large breath of air and saw Elijah in the water up to his calves. She walked towards him and was within reaching distance before the water hit his knees.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms. She nodded and pulled away from him.

He frowned. "What are you doing here?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I was walking when I heard you…Elena we need to get you warm."

Elena knew he was right, but she remembered how he had been ignoring her.

"Where have you been?" She backed away from him again.

Elijah swallowed.

"You've barely spoken to me all week. Why?"

"Elena, I- I'm sorry." His voice was low.

"I needed you." He heard her whisper.

He looked up to see tears gather in her eyes.

"I needed you and you abandoned me."

"No." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his body, she struggled at first but he just held her tighter.

She sighed when the heat from his body made its way through her wet clothes. "You left me. Don't you want your _sweet Elena_ anymore?" She cried into his chest. Elijah winced as her sobs filled his ears. How could he have simply ignored her.

"I haven't left, Elena. I'm still here." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you…it's just, when I think of you, I think of how severely I failed you."

"Elijah- "

"I get…so mad…and feel so guilty because I should have protected you better. I should have protected you."

"Elijah, I already told you it wasn't your fault, you have nothing to be guilty for." She spoke into his chest.

"I know, but it doesn't stop me from feeling this way."

She lifted her head to look at him and he wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"Please don't ignore me, Elijah. I need you." She begged him, her eyes shining with desperation.

Elijah inclined his head and placed a soft unsure kiss on her lips. He sighed when he felt her apply a small amount of pressure in return. His unkind behaviour had not caused him to lose her.

"I'll never leave you again, Elena. I promise." She believed him. "Now, will you let me take care of you? I'm surprised you haven't turned blue yet."

The corners of her mouth twitched as he pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her. Elena snuggled into his embrace when he picked her up. She had missed him. His scent, his kiss, the timbre of his voice.

She was about to call for Coco when she noticed she was following along next to them.

"I didn't know you had a dog." Elijah commented.

"I don't. She's from the shelter, I'm just looking after her today." Elena told him as they continued through the thick woods. "Where are we going?"

"My house." He spoke. "If that's okay?"

"Yes…I would love to see where you live."

He smiled as the trees became sparse and his house came into view. "Almost there."

Elena looked up at the house in wonderment. It was beautiful…and huge. A veritable palace.

"Your house is incredible, Elijah." She spoke as they entered and her eyes tried to take in every detail.

"Thank you, it took me months to get it decorated just right." He told her as they walked up the stairs, Elena still held within in his arms. He put her down to open the door, revealing a large and lavishly decorated bedroom.

"Is this your room?"

"Yes." He seemed nervous. "It's the only one with the en suite completely finished."

He walked over to a cupboard in the corner and supplied her with a white fluffy towel. She thanked him and went into the bathroom. She gasped at the high-quality bathroom. It had both a bath tub and a shower, both enormous. And the tiles were made from white marble. Everything about Elijah screamed upper class.

A sigh escaped her as the steaming water ran down her body. She reached out for the bottle on the little rack and her eyes fluttered shut as Elijah's scent invaded her nose. She applied it to her skin liberally, the thought of smelling like him aroused her. She did the same with his shampoo and rinsed her body.

Climbing out of the shower, she wrapped herself in his towel before the cold could reach her. She partly dried her hair and combed out the knots. It was only then she realised she didn't have anything to wear. Her clothes would still be dripping wet. Opening the door, she didn't expect Elijah to be there.

His mouth went dry when Elena came out of the bathroom in just a towel. Her face was pink and she wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"Um, I don't have anything to wear." She looked around nervously.

Elijah remembered why he came back in here. "Of course."

Elena watched as he opened another door and walked into his closet. Now she was really envious. Her body straightened as he came back out holding a shirt.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything more comfortable." He apologised and handed it over to her.

"I don't mind." She really didn't, the thought of wearing his shirt made her happy.

He coughed. "Um…here."

 _Was he blushing?_

Elena never thought she would see the day. Then she realised why as she looked down to see him handing her a pair of his boxers. Now, she was blushing.

"Thanks." She quickly took them. They wouldn't fit her that well, but they'd preserve her modesty which she was thankful for.

She watched as Elijah turned his back for her to change. He swallowed hard when he heard her towel drop to the floor. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists as the temptation to turn around was overwhelming.

"I hope you don't mind, I fed your dog." Elijah tried to distract himself.

Elena stopped buttoning up her shirt for a second.

"You got her to eat?" Elena asked in amazement.

"Yes, she was quite hungry." He turned his head when he felt Elena's hand on his arm.

"Thank you. No one else had any luck, I was getting worried."

"It was no problem." Elijah's voice was hoarse as the sight of her in his shirt affected him more than he imagined.

He took her hand. "Let's go downstairs."

Elena agreed and they left the room. Walking into the living room, Elena's jaw dropped. Elijah had built a fire and set up a cosy little blanket fort big enough for the two of them. As well as that, there was a tray with food and drinks.

"You did this?"

"Well, I couldn't have you freeze to death." Elijah told her with a mixture of playfulness and seriousness.

They sat down before the fire. "Seriously, Elena. Why did you think it was a good idea to go into the water?"

"Coco, needed me. She was scared." Elena whispered softly.

"You can't jeopardise your health, Elena. She would have come back." Elijah secretly loved the lengths she was willing to go to, to help an animal. She was so kind hearted. "You're too good for your own safety."

Elena smiled and he reached for the food he had made for her.

"I hope you like soup." He said before blowing on the spoon.

Elena sighed as she felt its warmth travel down her throat. It was delicious. She didn't get a chance to say so before Elijah held up another spoonful ready for her to eat. She swallowed it and put her hand on his arm.

"I am capable of feeding myself, you know."

Elijah blinked. Not even realising he had been feeding her. "I know, but I want to." He blew on the spoon again. "Eat, before it gets cold."

Elena sighed and gave in. If Elijah wanted to dote on her she wasn't going to stop him. Soon enough the bowl was empty and he put it back on the tray.

"Are you feeling warm enough?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I feel fine Elijah."

"Come lay with me." He held his hand out and they laid back against the soft fur rug, Elena tucked in tight against his side.

She relaxed against him and rested her head on his chest as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. Soon enough, she was yawning and her body drifting into a dream state as Elijah listened to her soft breaths. He fell asleep himself not long after.

Elena woke up to Coco licking her hand. She blushed when she saw she had draped her body over Elijah's in her sleep. Before she could move herself off him, his arms tightened around her waist and his eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey." His voice was rough, he quirked an eyebrow when he looked down and saw Elena's body spread over his own. Her leg hiked over his hip and her chest pressed into his.

"Sorry…" She blushed and moved off of him.

"Don't be." They both smiled and noticed it was dark outside.

"I should probably go." Elena started to stand up.

"No." Elijah said immediately. "I mean…you can stay…if you would like to."

Elena's heart sped up. "Elijah, I don't- "

"Please." His voice was strained. "I've missed you so much."

Elena thought about it. Her parents both had surgeries planned so they wouldn't know she was gone.

"Where would I sleep?" She asked timidly.

"In my bed."

"Where would you sleep?" She took a step closer to him.

"I can sleep in one of the guest rooms." He was quick to assure her.

"We won't be sleeping together?"

Elijah held back a moan. "We can sleep in the same bed if you would like that."

"I would."

"Okay, I just need to tidy up. I'll meet you upstairs." He kissed her forehead and quickly left the room.

Elena breathed deeply as she walked up the stairs towards his bedroom. Had she just agreed to sleep in the same bed as him? Falling asleep together downstairs was one thing, but this was a whole other level. Every time Elijah touched her, her body tingled and her skin felt as though it were on fire. She wanted Elijah. But she didn't think she could right now. Did he expect that sort of thing from her? Is that why he wanted her to stay? There had always been a fairly sizable level of sexual tension between them, but now they had no obstacles. Would she even have the will power to stop?

She opened the door to his bedroom and stared at the bed. Sighing, she climbed in and sat in the middle, not knowing if he had a preferred side. She heard the back door open and close downstairs, and the soft patter of Coco's paws.

She held her breath when the bedroom door opened. Elijah sent her a small smile before walking into his closet. She breathed again when he walked out shirtless in a pair of pyjama bottoms.

Elena looked so small in the middle of his large bed, the sight almost overwhelmed him and he had to remind himself that nothing would happen tonight. He wouldn't push for anything, he would let Elena set their pace.

"Which side do you sleep on?" Elena asked him sweetly.

"I don't mind." Elena nodded and climbed under the covers. He joined her on the right side of his bed, which was his preference, but he wouldn't deny her this side of she wanted it.

He flicked the light off and only the glow from the moon beamed through the window. He swallowed hard when Elena pressed her body against his and her hand stroked his cheek, sighing when her lips found his and he returned her kiss.

Elena parted her lips to allow his tongue entrance and felt that uncomfortable throbbing between her thighs as one hand tangled in her hair and the other trailed from her waist to her hip, going further down resting just below the hem of her shirt. His fingers stroked her soft skin gently.

Elena felt him moan into her mouth when her hands danced across his chest, with one she gripped his hip and pulled herself flush against him. She gasped for air when Elijah separated their mouths and rolled her onto her back, resting on top of her, before kissing her again.

Elijah heard her moan softly as he pressed kisses down her neck, losing himself in her embrace. He was brought back to reality by the sound of Elena's harsh and heavy breathing, like she was about to pass out.

"We should stop." His voice was husky.

"I…did I do something wrong?" She looked confused and hurt.

"Of course not. I just want you to know I'm not going to pressure you for anything. We don't have to do this tonight." Elijah wanted to assure her, he didn't know why he let it go this far.

"Oh…but you want to?"

"Yes." He whispered.

"But you'll wait?" She saw him nod his head. "Thank you. I-I don't want to disappoint you Elijah."

"You could never disappoint me." He kissed her gently and moved from above her. "Now, my sweet Elena, how about we go to sleep?"

She curled into his chest and sighed contentedly. "Goodnight, Elijah." She placed a kiss on his collarbone and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Elena." Elijah whispered and breathed in the smell of her hair, now smelling like him. The fact filled him with a sense of male pride and protectiveness, which made him smile until he fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Little warning for some steam in this chapter.**

Elijah woke the next morning to something tickling his stomach. Opening his eyes, he smiled when he looked down and found Elena resting her head over his torso, she must have moved during the night.

"Elena." He whispered and stroked her hair back.

He chuckled softly when she groaned unhappily. "Just 10 more minutes."

"You can have 5 minutes while I go make breakfast." Elijah stood from the bed, much to the dismay of a warm and sleepy Elena, and went downstairs to start cooking.

As soon as he got downstairs, an excited Coco ran over to him and licked all over his face. After he let the dog outside, he threw some eggs into a pan alongside some bacon and toast. By the time he was plating it up, he had expected Elena to be downstairs already. Sighing, he placed everything onto a tray and carried it upstairs, after feeding the dog, and found Elena still wrapped in the duvet.

Setting the tray down, he kissed her on the lips. "Time to wake up, sweetheart."

Elena mumbled something incoherent and slapped his hand away.

"Okay, I guess I'll just have all this food to myself then." He teased as he plopped down next to her.

Elena's eyes snapped open. Elijah pretended not to notice and went about eating his food, moving his plate a little further away when Elena tried to snatch a piece of toast.

"Hey!" She sat up. "I'm awake now."

"So, it seems." He smiled. "Would you like something to eat?"

She nodded eagerly and thanked him when he handed her another plate.

"So, I've been thinking." Elena swallowed. "I think I'm going to come back to school tomorrow."

She awaited his reaction.

Elijah was surprised but pleased nonetheless.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

She nodded. "I can't stay home forever."

"Well…if you're sure, then I think it's a great idea."

"You do?"

"Yes," He told her honestly. "I was going crazy without you, you're my favourite student." He winked at her.

Elena blushed. "Well, you're my favourite teacher." She played along and kissed him.

"Miss Gilbert," He pretended to look shocked. "That is highly inappropriate."

They had reached a point in their relationship where they could make fun of their situation without it being awkward. Elena didn't care that he was her teacher anymore, in fact, it only made things more fun.

"I'm sorry, Mr Mikaelson. You're just too irresistible."

"Well in that case." Elijah rolled her underneath him. His kiss left her breathless.

"Elijah?" She asked when he seemed like he was about to pull away.

"Yes, Elena?"

"I know that…we're not going to have sex and I'm…not completely ready to do that yet." Elijah looked confused. "But, we can do other stuff, right? I mean…like this. I like doing this."

"You can do whatever you want to, Elena. I won't stop you. I like this as well." Elijah said as he kissed down her neck.

Elena moaned softly as Elijah rested his body back on hers, arching her back every so often as his lips trailed across her neck and collar bones. She gasped when she felt something hard poke her thigh. Elijah quickly jumped back.

"I'm sorry. I-I thought I could control it." Elijah looked embarrassed.

"No, it's okay." Elena's breathing evened out. "Come here." She directed him to where she was sitting and swapped positions.

Elena kneeled in between his legs and began kissing him again. This time, Elijah noticed, she kept her hips far away from his. He felt his heart race as her hands travelled down his body and lingered around the waistband of his pants.

Hesitantly, she slipped her hand inside.

Elijah groaned when he felt her delicate hand grip him.

"What…are you doing?" He managed to speak through their joined lips. "You don't have to- ".

"I want to." Elena interrupted him. She squeezed a little harder making his eyes roll back. "Am I doing it right?"

"Yes." He pushed his pants further down his legs to give her better access and placed his own hand over hers, instructing her.

Elena was intrigued over the arousal she felt by pleasing Elijah. The sensation was strange, she'd never even seen a man like this before let alone touch someone in this way. He was soft and hard at the same time, she wondered how it would feel for her.

Now, Elena wasn't completely uneducated. She had Caroline and movies to fill in the blanks only experience could provide and knew some of the things that men liked. She also knew, that Elijah would be far too much of a gentleman to ask for any of them. So, she did what felt natural.

Elijah was in heaven and hell simultaneously. Firstly, he couldn't believe Elena was doing this at all and her hands felt so good on his body. At the same time, he was in hell because he wanted more from her but knew to ask that would be too much. Right now, she was giving more of herself to him than she ever had to anyone.

His eyes shot open when something wet touched the tip of his penis. He moaned as he watched himself disappear into Elena's mouth, inch by inch.

Elena knew she was doing something right when she heard a deep rumble in Elijah's chest. She tried to accommodate him as best she could, but he was bigger than she had anticipated. Again, Elijah instructed her as his hand came up to rest on the back of her head and moved her at a good rhythm.

"Oh, god…Elena." His voice was deep and sultry.

She increased her speed, her head bobbing faster and faster when she felt his hips thrust into her.

He released a strangled groan. "Keep going. I'm almost there…"

Elena closed her eyes when he roared into the room and a warm liquid shot into her mouth. She didn't know what to do so she just swallowed it and panted as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Was that- ". Elena didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as Elijah pressed his lips against hers.

"That was incredible."

 _Monday morning._

Elena took a deep breath before she left her bed this morning. She was nervous as hell, but she knew she had to do this. She couldn't be scared forever. This was _her_ town. _Her_ school. Stefan couldn't take that away from her.

With resolution, she opened the front door to find Caroline waiting out by her car. She smiled at her friend, the outlook for the day improving every minute as her determination became stronger.

"Ready?" Caroline quirked an eyebrow.

"As I'll ever be."

Elena climbed into the car and they began on the familiar path to school.

She looked up at the building from the parking lot and was surprised to find that it wasn't as daunting as she expected it to be. It was the same school. The same building. Nothing had changed except for her perception of it and that was something she could control.

Climbing out of the car, she pulled out her phone when it vibrated in her pocket.

 _Elijah: 3 hours 2 minutes until I see you._

She smiled at her phone and sent a quick reply before hiding her phone again.

The halls looked the same, the people hadn't changed and nothing was out of place. No one was staring at her. Nobody paid her special attention. She released a long breath and sent a reassuring glance to Caroline who had been standing very close since they walked through the doors. The blonde smiled widely and linked her arm with Elena's, walking down the corridors like they always do.

Getting back into the swing of things was easy for her. She had missed having the routine that a class schedule provides and catching up with the rest of her peers wouldn't be that hard because she had in fact completed the homework Caroline brought for her.

Her morning wasn't without difficulty though. There was the panic she experienced when a group of guys on the football team marched down the halls and she expected to see Stefan with them. She regained her footing as Caroline grounded her, refusing to leave her on her first day back.

At lunch, everything continued as normal and she could breathe again. Next up was Elijah's class where she knew she didn't have anything to worry about. Walking into his room she was happy to see Elijah already sitting at his desk. She smiled and walked over to him.

Caroline took her seat while Elena stopped by Mr Mikaelson's desk. She knew from her friend and her mother that he had been the one to rescue Elena and chase Stefan away, so it didn't surprise her for them to have a conversation the first day they saw each other again. What did surprise her, however, was when she caught a glimpse of their fingers delicately touching behind the desk. She quickly turned her head when Elena walked over and took her seat. Not knowing what she had just witnessed she pretended that she hadn't seen anything, but she made a mental note in the back of her mind to look into this.

Elena felt physically lighter as she left school that day. She had done it. She had survived the day and tomorrow didn't look so unnerving.

She had decided to go spend some time with Bea that afternoon and Caroline opted to tag along, it had been a while since they had all been in the same room together. Getting to the home, she was greeted with a bright smile from her oldest friend and they all gathered together in a private corner of the lounge.

Conversation flowed easily, between Caroline and Bea there was never an awkward silence and Elena was happy to listen to them gossip to their hearts content. The topic of Tyler came up and Elena's mind began to wander. She snapped back into reality a second later.

"Speaking of handsome gentlemen," Bea began. "Tell me more about this English teacher of yours, Mr Mikaelson is it?"

"How do you know about him?" Caroline raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Bea gestured to Elena. "Elena introduced us."

Elena swallowed nervously. Caroline made note of this to add to her ever-growing suspicions. _Surely, Elena isn't…she would never…would she?_

"How are you handling your crush, dear?"

"Bea!" Elena screamed mortified.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"What crush, Elena?" Caroline asked. She had never mentioned anything about a crush to her.

Elena groaned. "It's not like I'm the only one, every girl in school is attracted to him!"

"Well," Caroline cleared her throat. "I think he would be lucky to have someone like Elena."

Elena sent her a curious look, but she just shrugged, not letting on that she had her suspicions just yet.

Returning home, Elena sighed and promptly fell into bed smiling to herself at how successful her day had been. She still had lingering fear because _he_ was still out there, but surely if he was still in Mystic Falls he would have been caught by now. There were not very many places to hide in this town.

Elena turned her head when her phone rang and happily answered.

"Hey."

"Hi, how are you?" Elijah replied.

"I'm doing good actually." She replied truthfully. "My day went really well."

"I'm glad to hear it. I was worried about you."

She could hear the relief in his voice and it warmed her heart that she had someone like him to worry over her.

"What are you doing right now?"

"Marking essays." She heard the papers shuffle around as proof.

She laughed. "Wow, you sure do know how to have fun."

Elijah tutted. "Just for that, I'm hanging up now."

"Hey!"

"Goodbye, Elena." He hung up.

Elena stared at the phone with her mouth hanging open.

Her phone buzzed.

 _Elijah: Sweet dreams, my sweet Elena._

She smiled at the screen goofily before changing into some comfier clothes.

It was the middle of the week and Elena was beginning to think everything was returning to normality.

Standing at her locker she had the wind knocked out of her when a familiar voice crept down her spine. It was cold and suffocating.

"Hello, Elena."

"Stefan."

 **A/N: Eh, you don't mind a little cliffy, do you?**


End file.
